THE MAN OF STEEL
by Ammicus Prague
Summary: When his planet explodes and is no more, Kal-El of Krypton is left an infant orphan floating into space, his purpose unknown but his destination clear: Earth. He lands in a spacecraft prepared by his parents and is found by a couple in Smallville, Kansas. Over time, the boy grows into a man. He soon discovers that, no matter how hard he tries to fit in, he just isn't like us...
1. Author's Note

Author's note:

Hi guys. I know it's been quite a while since I wrote last, but not to worry! I have updates for the kind people who have been wondering about my books as of now.

As far as my Spidey series goes, I am still working on that. I have decided to completely overhaul my plans for the sequel as I wasn't satisfied with the first idea. For those who don't know, please check out the first book, entitled The Rising Carnage.

About my Freddy book...I've put that on hold. Sorry for those who liked the initial premise, but I'm not sure how to continue with the story. Truth be told, I would like to focus on point three before coming back to this as I have ideas for it.

Lastly, this is not related to the movie Man of Steel, just to make that clear. This is my version of what Superman's origin could be like. If it resembles the movie at all, it will mostly not my intention. However when it comes to some elements there will have to be things kept the same.

This will be part one in a multi-part series. Please comment, favorite and follow! It helps motivate me.

I am working on the first chapter as I type this. Hopefully I can upload it tonight.

Thanks for your patience.


	2. Prologue

_You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you... _

_Even in the face of our death. The richness of our lives shall be yours. All that I have, all that I've learned, everything I feel... _

_All this, and more, I... I bequeath you, my son. _

_You will carry me inside you, all the days of your life. _

_You will make my strength your own, and see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. _

_You will give the people an ideal to strive towards. They will race behind you, they will stumble, they will fall. But in time, they will join you in the sun. In time, you will help them accomplish wonders. _

_The son becomes the father, and the father the son. _

_Goodbye, my son. Our hopes and dreams travel with you. _


	3. The Fortress

_It comes to him in his dreams again._

_The ice fortress. Built into the side of an Arctic cliff. It tells him exactly where it is...almost like it wants him to find it. As if it's calling him. _

_He has dreamed about the fortress for years. He does not know exactly what it is. It seems to hold unspeakable power. It seems familiar to him, in a way he does not know. _

_He stands in front of the gigantic structure, the ice glistening in the sun. Surely not crafted by human hands...most definitely. He walks toward it. It looks like a palace. He could almost see through the crystalline doors. He could see through them. His spectacular vision provides him with that gift. He has never tried. It doesn't want him to. He must see its wonders himself. He has only looked at the fortress for years...as long as he can remember._

_But this time he enters through the doors himself._

_There are crystals everywhere. They also glisten - an attractive shade of green. He has seen that green before. Somewhere._

_A large, unearthly screen takes up most of the far wall. He stares at it, waiting for it to do something._

_After a while, it blares to life. A man's face appears._

_"My son. You do not remember me..._

_"I am Jor-El...I am your father."_

_He does not understand. His father is still asleep in the bedroom across from his. Not on a screen in a mystical ice castle...but the man strikes a chord deep within his being...he also is familiar._

_"By now you will have reached your eighteenth year, as it is measured on Earth. __By that reckoning, I will have been dead for many thousands of your years. The knowledge...that I have, of matters physical and historic, I have given you fully on your voyage to your new home. These are important matters, to be sure, but - still matters of mere fact. There are questions to be asked. And it is time for you to do so. Here in this...this Fortress of Solitude we shall try to find the answers together. So, my son. Speak."_

_He takes in all the information the strange man has given him. Struggling to find the words, he says, __"__Who am I?"_

_"Your name is Kal-El. You are the only survivor of the planet Krypton. Even though you've been raised as a human being, you are not one of them._

_I sent you myself to Earth...its atmosphere is similar to that of Krypton, and its sentient beings resemble our own. But its yellow sun is not the same as our red sun was...it is quite different. It has gifted you incredible abilities._

_"You have great powers, only some of which you have as yet discovered...you will find that as you grow older...they will manifest inside you. Your strength, ability and willpower will far exceed those of mortal men._

_"Ah, but you are beginning to awaken. It is now time for you to rejoin your new world, and serve as collective humanity. Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and your power are needed. Always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, they wish to be. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you... _

_"My only son."_


	4. Graduation

Clark went into the kitchen for breakfast.

"About time you woke up!" His father shook his hand. "Did you forget about graduation?"

Today was his last day of twelfth grade. Clark shrugged and sat down.

"Well, we didn't!" Pa Kent continued. "Who can forget the day you can kick your kid out of the house?" Clark looked at him with offense. "I'm just pushing your buttons, kid," he added hastily. "The reason we're excited is because today...we're going to the Caribberian! Er...the Carbean! Um...Marty, how do you say it?"

"Care-uh-bee-an," said Ma Kent. "And please don't call me Marty."

"Yes, that," Pa Kent replied, ignoring the last sentence. "We won't be able to stay at the ceremony long, now. We'll have to come back after awhile and pack up. We're leaving for the airport at 4, so mingle with your friends briefly. We won't have time for the afterparty." He looked at the clock on the stove. "Come on, let's go! We got to get you to school!"

* * *

"Charles Johnathan Kent!"

Clark stepped onto the podium, accepting his diploma. He shook Mr. Terence's hand, and Mr. Terence winced from his tight grip. "Kid's got a shake of steel..." he said as Clark walked off. "Lana Elizabeth Lang!"

After the ceremony was over, Clark felt a tap on his shoulder. Turning, he saw that it was Lana. "Hey there, Charles."

He smirked. "It's Clark. You heard nothing about Charles," he said, mimicking Ben Kenobi. Lana giggled and asked, "So, where are you going after this?"

Clark was caught off-guard. "I have no idea...I was thinking something in journalism might be suitable."

"Journalism? You might want to go to the Planet. I've heard it's pretty good pay, and they usually get the early scoops. My uncle's been working there for twenty-five years."

"The Planet sounds good," Clark acknowledged. "Ma and Pa watch Channel 4 every day. Is your uncle an anchor?"

Lana giggled again, holding her head in her hand. "Yeah...he's Frank Lang. The one who's always on the morning broadcasts after having his usual three cups of coffee. I think he may have a record for fastest anchor in Smallville by now."

Clark suddenly remembered Frank. He was always jittery and did speak incredibly fast. In fact, Pa Kent had had to turn on the captions on the TV, and they were still on to this day.

"Lana! It's time to go, honey!"

She looked over to her parents' car. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," she said, turning and walking off. But she stopped, turned around, and came back over to him. Holding his face, she planted a quick kiss on his lips.

"Stay classy, Clark."

He smiled goofily, straightening up immediately afterwards.

"Wait!"

She looked back at him. "What is it, Clark?"

"I never asked you what you were going to do."

She smiled at him. "Oh...it's a surprise."

She walked off, this time for good.

Looking around, he happened to glance at his watch.

It was 4:35...he had missed the flight.


End file.
